The Champ

My CBR1100XX was crashed by a friend, and Id like to get a replacement but they are a bit out of my budet for the time being.

I am considering an 01 Suzuki SV650S with 26000 mi, exhaust, jetting, afetrmarket seat, full fairings, and some nifty detailing work or a 97 Interceptor with 35k mi, stock, doesnt seem as well loved.

I LOVED the blackbird, and I know the VFR is more inline with it, but Im afraid it will seem meh after the blackbird. But I know character is more significant than speed sometimes as far involvement. For example I really liked the KZ1100 I had but the CBR1000F didnt really do it for me, despite the fact that it was margianlly quicker and had higher handling limits.

The SV isnt so much up the alley of the CBR, but Ive never had a twin and have always kinda wanted one. Something more nimble would be cool too. But Ive heard they have soggy suspension

And Im worried if 70hp is enough (but do rember the smile a 35hp dual sport can give)

I like riding two-up, but Im single now so that isnt a huge issue. I like to travel on them, but 70% of my riding is short jaunts on local rural roads. I dont do track days. This wont have to be a primary transportation device, but I do enjoy the gas mileage benefits of motorcycle commuting. Im 23, 5'10" and 200lbs.

Which do you suppose Ill enjoy more?

I found a cheap GTI on the local craigslist, but I want to make sure it is indeed a GTI. It has square headlamps, and a black grill. I have not yet seen the car in person. What are the tell-tale signs?

Here is the ad: http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/2821764916.ht...

I was thinking of attending Bike Week this year, but rather than take one of my own from Texas, I thought it might be easier and fun to rent one in the area. Ideally, I'd like a K1300S/GT (Im in to sportstourers, Ive owned a ZX-12R, a ThunderAce and a CBR1000F, Ive ridden a Busa and a ZX-14R, and I own a BlackBird, but I have no experiancewith K bikes. Well, except for watching them shrink in my mirrors :) I talked to Eagle Rider, and they only rent Harleys. My friend Brittany (who lives in the area) says that I really want a Harley anyways because its that kind of an event, but i remain unconvinced. Has anyone ever rented a sportsbike (or know of any available at least) in that neck of the woods?

Do I really want to rent a harley anyway? I was thinking sportster (I know they don't have any XR, I hope they have 1200s though) as they appeal the most to me (asthetically and because they are light) and are the cheapest to rent. Ive only ridden a sportster once, and never a big twin cruiser. Considering that I will have Brittany with me is the sporty good for two up? Or should I just go "whole hog" and get a road king, fat boy etc?

Im 23, which may be prohibitive for some rental places, and even though Ive never ridden a big twin, Im confident in my ability to do so. Im about 5'10" and 200lbs, Brittanys maybe 5'4" and 120.

What impressions did they make on you? Ill go first.

Old Honda 50cc Mini Bike- The biggest thing I took away from this was the importance of buying children motorcycles. One of the best things my parents ever did for me.

Old Honda XR185- made me feel like I was speed king of the world

Newer Honda CR125R- showed me just how slow I was, taught me that the fastest, sexiest thing out there is not the best choice generally, which is a problem confronted by 90% of new riders and makes them want a R6 when they would be much better served with something more suitable for their intended usage.

1979 Yamaha 125cc dualsport- my first street bike, I urge people to start on an old dual sport when possible, ideally something a little better than a neolithic 125.

1986(?) Honda VFR700F Interceptor- made me speed king of my highscool, by beating all the cars and the only other bike, a Buell Blast. I cant belived how impressed I was with it in retrospect. It kinda sucked. Hard.

2005 Kawasaki ZX-12R Ninja- Too much of a step, taught me its better to ride a slow bike masterfully than a fast bike like a dunce. I still want to get a light twin to refine my technique.

1999 Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird- Ridiculously fast, super naturally refined and composed, economical and stylish. My favorite so far. Still have it.

1997 Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace- A good bike, very nimble compared to the XX or Ninja, but lacking the bottom end. Not nearly as comfortable either, too much R1, not enough FJR for me. It got stolen, the guy made it a few hundred yards then crashed and died, destroying it.

1995 Honda CBR1000F Hurricane- Thought it would be more blackbirdish. Bought cheap, was disappointed, my brother dumped it, and I sold it at a profit.

1982 Kawasaki KZ1100-D Spectre- Bought primarily so my dad could ride with me, I fell in love with its power delivery, comfort and mechanical honesty.

1982 Honda XL500R- Bought for $500. Its been beat to hell. No insturments or kickstand or battery system. More fun than a barrel of monkeys on acid. I need to get a newer electric start thumper (KLR?) and go on some epic trips.

I love the game but its almost unuseably glitchy. I bought a new disc and the problem persist. I was thinking of starting over for the computer, but I won't if it is also problematic.

http://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/2453919917.html

I already have a few bikes, and don't want an Ascot. But its soo cheap! And I have an extra battery just sitting around.

If you fell out of a boat in a cold part of the Pacific and you were all bundled up, would it be better to keep your wet clothes on, or to get naked? From a hypothermia standpoint, not considering buoyancy or modesty.

Would you rather have a V45 Magna/Sabre or a FZX?

Should I cock it and use the safety lever, or half cock it. I want to maintain condition 1.

In my stable now I have a CBR1100XX, a KZ1100 and a XL500R.

Im looking to get something that handles really really well and is really user friendly, because I want to develop really good cornering technique. I dont think I want a 600cc racerep, because of the peaky nature of their powerplants, and I dont want a literbike because I want the experiance to be dominated by cornering not throttle control. I was thinking I want a twin like a Ducati 900SS SV650 or maybe even a Hyosung GT650R. Im just afraid that I will find them underpowered. But on the other hand, the XL has what, 40hp? I think it is really fun. So IDK

Im going to look at a tastefully modded early SV650S later today, but any input would be appreciated.

Basically, will the SV650etc be good enough, or should I step up to A TL1000R RC51 etc?

If you have ridden/owned a early 900SS, SV650 or Hyosung a comparison would be appreciated, or any recommendations for other bikes too. Also Im not too concerned about fairings. A naked SV or Hyosung, maybe even a Supermotard would not go against my taste.

Im 5'10" 200lbs, and in good physical condition.

The first sentence of his wikipedia article says so, the last says he lives with his girlfriend. I'd never heard that about him.

Like on employment applications, when that ask if you've ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or were in the millitary how do they verify if you say no? How do they check to really see if you have a degree? I know how to get a credit report, but thats all I know how to do with a SSN.

P.S. Im not trying to fool an employer, or steal anyones identity or anything sinister, Im just curious.

Ive been wanting a thumper, and only to spend about $1000. Ive been looking awhile and the best Ive found was a XL600 that I couldnt kickstart to save my life. But it was FUN!!! Still I decided I want electric start.

I want to use the bike on the land I live on to play, and to take trail riding, but towed to the trail. It would also be good to take it to national forest and so forth. Being street legal is important. Im 5'10" and 200lbs and rode dirt a bit as kid but not competitively. I know just enough to get myself in trouble. Id like to be able to wheelie easily. This bike would be added to a stable including a KZ1100 and CBR1100XX and a sporting twin once I sell the hurricane. So it wont be primary transportaiton by any means.

I found a 95 Suzuki DR125 for 700. Would this bike fit my needs? I like to go fast, and Im afraid this wont cut it.

I found a cheap 2002 400S that I want to buy, but Ive heard the off road E makes noticably more power. Why is that, emissions junk, or are there hard parts differances like cams, carburators etc? Are there any updates from new models that can be retrofitted? General impressions, or advice about the DR-Z 400S? Thank you.

Often on the diverse board of human (sub?)thought that is YA! someone posits the question "Are the police really nessecary?" in some form or another. The reply is generally overwhelmingly resoundingly "without police all your sister would be raped and all of your possesions would be stolen by sunrise" or some variation of that theme.

So for arguments sake, lets say that there was no announcement of widespread PD closure or anything, but today you didnt see a single cop. Or the next day, or all month. At what point would you decide "well the cops aint gonna get me, Im gonna go rape Peggy Sue (that tight little piece of a$$ you've been lusting after) kill her dog and take all of her stuff?

Or would you behave like a rational, decent human being? Why do you trust that others wouldnt?

One could well say "well I know others wouldn't because there are rapes now, and we have cops"

Okay, let us examine this. What happens when a rape, burglery or violent crime is commited? The victim is, well, victimized and then calls the police, who may or may not bring 'justice' at some point in the future. But they seldom "stop" any crime. They are by their very nature a reactionary force. So then how should we prevent crime?

With a .45 I contend. Why rely on someone else to protect you and your loved ones, when you could do a much better job yourself?

But the police are preventative by theur preasence you say. I contend that they are not. Or at least not very efficently, after all there is crime today, and we have police. Is it not true that love and character are the strongest deturrent to crime. How does one foster love and character? This is a complex question, but I humbly submit that it starts in the family, and that imprisoning generations (our incarceration rate is atrocious in global comparison) of young men mostly for drug (non)crimes, and forcing their children to grow up fatherless is counterproductive to our goal of a stable, peaceful society.

In light of all this, why are police needed? To write traffic tickets? Do you need to be policed to prevent yourself from sinning against man?

Often on the diverse board of human (sub?)thought that is YA! someone posits the question "Are the police really nessecary?" in some form or another. The reply is generally overwhelmingly resoundingly "without police all your sister would be raped and all of your possesions would be stolen by sunrise" or some variation of that theme.

So for arguments sake, lets say that there was no announcement of widespread PD closure or anything, but today you didnt see a single cop. Or the next day, or all month. At what point would you decide "well the cops aint gonna get me, Im gonna go rape Peggy Sue (that tight little piece of a$$ you've been lusting after) kill her dog and take all of her stuff?

Or would you behave like a rational, decent human being? Why do you trust that others wouldnt?

One could well say "well I know others wouldn't because there are rapes now, and we have cops"

Okay, let us examine this. What happens when a rape, burglery or violent crime is commited? The victim is, well, victimized and then calls the police, who may or may not bring 'justice' at some point in the future. But they seldom "stop" any crime. They are by their very nature a reactionary force. So then how should we prevent crime?

With a .45 I contend. Why rely on someone else to protect you and your loved ones, when you could do a much better job yourself?

But the police are preventative by theur preasence you say. I contend that they are not. Or at least not very efficently, after all there is crime today, and we have police. Is it not true that love and character are the strongest deturrent to crime. How does one foster love and character? This is a complex question, but I humbly submit that it starts in the family, and that imprisoning generations (our incarceration rate is atrocious in global comparison) of young men mostly for drug (non)crimes, and forcing their children to grow up fatherless is counterproductive to our goal of a stable, peaceful society.

In light of all this, why are police needed? To write traffic tickets? Do you need to be policed to prevent yourself from sinning against man?

True story:

I was on my way to visit my probation officer yesterday. I am on probation for racing motorcycles. I was on I-10/90 west bound into San Antonio near 410. This is a large, two lane divided hiway with alot of traffic. I was in the Left lane going ~70, which is the speed limit. A Tahoe came up behind me, fast. It switched lanes and passed me on the right, then returned to the left lane without using signals. Now, this was a civilian truck, but as it passed I saw the driver was wearing a SAPD uniform. I accelerated, and paced him at ~90, and got his plates. I pulled off, and called Internal affairs. After being run around a bit, I asked to speak to a supervisor. I did. He asked if the guy was going so fast, how did I get the plate. I explained that I caught up to him. He asked why I did this. I said, I felt it was a grave injustice that a police officer could do this with impunity. If a cop had seen me do that, he woulda caught up, and pulled me over (20 over is automatic jail. I didnt say so, but past experiance has shown, that if a cop had seen me do that, he would have pulled me over, beat me up, stolen my vehicle, put me in a cage and extorted money from me, all under the implicit threat of killing me if I resisted) The cop on the other end of the line, then said "well, you're not a trained driver" How on earth could he presume to know my level of training!?!?! For all he knows, I was the guy who devised the police academy driving course! I didnt press the point, but he was very dismissive, and I doubt he looked into it.

Is this what you have come to expect from those who serve and protect you?

I have a 1911, and I like it, but it is a bit too bulky to conceal comfortably, so I find myself often leaving it in the car. I want something I can put in my pocket, inconspicuously, but that has dropping power, decent capacity and can be trusted not to jam. I want stopping power, and if it shot .45ACP also, it would simplify things for me. Range and accuracy are secondary. I dont mind buying used and am looking to spend from $350-500 or so? Ive heard great things about the XD45 and its variants, but they are pricey. I also think the Judge PD/UL are neat, but have heard mixed reviews, especially as a CCW. I live in Tx, if that matters for availability.

What do you see happening?

You probably shouldnt answer this question if you never watched Pride, dont know who Allistair Overeem is, or didnt follow MMA before 'The Ultimate Fighter'